SWG2 Agro-Food

Presentation of region and cluster-activities

PP8

MARIOARA IORDAN

DIACONESCU TIBERIU

GABRIELA BILEVSKY

Udine, February 14-15, 2011

Agro-Food: Romanian industry

Our agricultural area is large (5h place in Europe in arable land and pastures, with a share of 8% in total EU-27), and the number of units operating in this sector is about 10,000 units (with almost 40% of them working in the meat industry). This sector employs almost 207,000 people and has a turnover of 10,1 billion Euros.

Romania can become a net exporter of food, but the situation is reversed, we are a net importer with a negative trade balance of around 1,4 billion Euros in 2008.

Agro-Food: Romanian industry

As a meat producer, Romanian (according to EU ranks, on Eurostat database) came onto 11th place in 2007, in pork and beef, chicken; and on 5th place in mutton (a very traditional area for Romania, with large potential to further develop).

According to our latest data, Romania has around 1000 units for production, processing and preserving meat (2,3% of the total number of units existing in EU), generating a turnover of 1,46 billions Euros (0,8% of total EU area).

Agro-Food: Romanian industry

Increased production of meat and meat canning illustrates the orientation of the meat industry in Romania to produce goods with higher added value, which creates prerequisites for increasing profits for companies in this sector.

Prices of meat and meat products on the Romanian market are closely related to the evolution of international prices, especially due to the fact that most meat used in meat products is still imported from abroad.

Romanian meat processing industry

Along with the lack of quantity for meat production, the Romanian market suffers, as well, due to inadequate quality of animals. Industry, primarily, needs a high content of lean meat, which means higher yields, lower costs of production and, proportionally, reducing prices for meat products.

Therefore, we have to raise the quality of our animals quickly, which implies a serious investment in all livestock areas. These investments will be made when the market will pay not only the quantity but as well the quality.

Romanian Meat Associationhttp://rma.ro/hrm/0.hrm

Romanian Meat Association is the representing professional organization for all interests of the meat processing industry. RMA was formed in 1999 through a joint venture between ROCARNE (1993) and ASIC (1995), with 50 member companies, which produces over 60% of national production of meat.

Its mission is to promote the development of Romanian meat processing industry by:

• lobbying to influence legislative decisions;• informing members on domestic, European and worldwide trends;• training local companies to enter the Community market;• including members within internal and external assistance programs;• transmission of information related to new developments on commercial, legal, technological aspects.

Projects in progress

 

1. Protein types in meat products

2. High Tech Europe

 

Projects concluded

 

1. Guide for Good Practices within meat industry microbiology

2. Trading Regulations for meat products

3. EUROP carcass grading system

Works recently completed with support from USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture), RMA, Romalimenta and USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development): 

- “Slaughtering animals for obtaining red meat "- welfare requirements and good hygiene practices and production

- "Guide to good hygiene and manufacturing practices for the meat processing sector” - Second Edition.

Best practices for RMA

RMA laboratory is authorized by law (since July 2009) as well as RENAR accreditation, to perform analysis of food of animal origin and issues bulletins of analysis (test reports).

The advantages of using our services are:•Fairness of results (according to current regulations the samples are analyzed twice only through reference methods, universally recognized);•Confidentiality: the bulletins according to self-control programme are entirely owned by the beneficiary; •Efficiency: the results from test with complete analysis are ready in 7 days (bacteriology tests) and within 4 days (physic-chemical test);

Best practices for RMA

•Flexibility: the period of reception for all samples can be modified according to customers needs;•Contracts: are kept simple and may be amended or terminated at will by all parties•Costs: the prices we present are very attractive to those stipulated by Order 45/2005.•Discounts: depending on volumes contracted and executed, the planning of acceptance test, discounts can be negotiated;•Investment: upon request, new tests can be taken into account (besides those within tables, e.g. microbiological water tests), if the volume of samples justifies such investment.

RMA dealing with current problems of the meat industry

HACCP system – the purpose of this system is to ensure that food is produced safely; this is done by identifying and effective controlling of all food hazards. It is recognized that the most important food risk in fresh meat are bacteria, that can cause disease in humans (pathogenic bacteria), such as Salmonella and E. Coli;

Public product promotion (through media) – the decision to buy a product made in Romania, means keeping jobs. In the store, consumers can choose food made in Romania, thus sustaining the food industry (vital for almost half of the population).

V.A.T values – Romania is among the highest levels of V.A.T (24%) on food. We are among the few countries that do not practice low levels for essential goods;

RMA dealing with current problems of the meat industry

Drought – due to recent years drought there is a government project to reduce V.A.T, only for bread;

Legislation – draft laws on the incorporation of companies seeking business in animal slaughtering and selling meat and meat products;

Swine fever – this type of fever creates problems for both farmers and meat processors, because we have to apply specific health stamps which differ from those used in EU. Moreover our meat related products are banned on the Community market. It is therefore subject to approval, that factories working only with pork in countries free of swine fever to deliver their products to the EU.

Our activity is also related to different national and European projects. Among the papers we have:

1.Developing of Guidelines for Good Practices in Manufacturing for meat industry;

- The guide is based on EU legislation for food safety and it is also accredited by ANSVSA. The paper itself presents main microbiological criteria for meat processing industry, labeling requirements, guidelines for official inspections, proper application of procedures.

2.Legislation for technical standards for meat products;- compendium of regulations, government resolutions and other

provisions related to meat products trade.

3. Implementation of EUROP grading system for pig carcasses (www.ccceuop.ro);

•Founding of “Carcasses classification committee” - (for pigs, cattle and sheep);•Establishing the list of independent classifiers;•Coordinating territorial agencies;•Coordinating zonal inspectors.

Thank you for your attention